"In the summer of 1895 Lautrec embarked on a voyage from Le
Havre to Bordeaux with Maurice Guibert, on the steamer 'Le Chili'
During the voyage he discovered a young woman, one of his fellow
passengers, in cabin No.54, who was on her way to join her husband,
a colonial official in Senegal. He was so fascinated by her beauty
that, despite protests from Guilbert, he determined to stay on board
when the ship reached Bordeaux and continue south with the vessel.
It was not until they reached Lisbon that his friend succeeded in
getting Lautrec - who was determined to carry on as far as Dakar
- off the ship. Guibert then took the artist via Madrid and Toledo
to the spa of Taussat, and the trip ended in late summer near Bordeaux,
at the Chateau de Malrome, the main residence of Lautre's mother"
(Adriani p.217) "Lautrec
kept a photograph of the unknown woman, lost in reverie on deck,
in a pose much like this. He was a master at catching the sort of
uninvited glimpse into an anonymous and private world depicted here"
(San Diego Museum of Art)

"The Salon of the Hundred, was a small gallery on the premises
of the magazine 'La Plume' where promising designers displayed their
work. The publication's marketing arm, Editions d'Art, also issued
these posters and decorative panels in various editions, often on
quality paper as art for the home. The bottom half of these posters,
there were 43 in all, is normally filled with text" (Gold
p.132)

During the 1960s the renowned French printer, Mourlot Freres, printed
this superb series "Les Affiches de Toulouse-Lautrec"
for collectors. They are reduced lithographic versions of Lautrec's
most famous works. They are truly the most beautiful printing we
have been able to find in this size format.

As vintage printings of Lautrec's work, in all formats, reach high
prices, this mid-century printing offers a superb alternative at
a reasonable price that will only appreciate in value.